A Sight to Behold 3.18.12

Many things can be said about the weather in the Pacific Northwest and many people (myself included at times) will lament about the woes of the ever present threat of rain and the overcast skies. When you see this, however, it just all makes sense. Without the bitter, this would not be near as sweet!

Taken from the ferry on the way back from Bremerton to Seattle, WA.

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/500, f/7.1 (cloudy wb)

Intent: The leading lines of the ferry rail pointing to the intersection of the sunset sky and the stormy clouds (where the bitter and the sweet meet :o)

Processing: Basic settings in Lightroom adjusted with emphasis on the upping the colors through the vibrance, saturation and tone curve

"I like this life. I like it when it's hard, and I like it better when it's not, but I know you don't get the sweet part without the bitter." - Holly Near

   

Clark Lake Trail 9.30.11

Yesterday I decided to leave work a little early (for me that was 5pm instead of 8pm) so I could take some pictures before the rain that was supposed to descend this weekend. I went back to Clark Lake Park, which is a lake that is nestled in the middle of busy roads and houses. It was a pleasant surprise to find such a beautiful setting in such an unexpected place. The light was amazing and even after the sun went down I was able to capture some lovely moments. Today's photo is of the trail back from the lake to the parking lot. The sun had just went down so I had to use my tripod with a slow shutter speed in order to get the shot. It turned out a bit too warm, but I love the leading lines and the framing. So I went searching for free Lightroom Presets and found Preset Heaven which had a post called "28 Free Presets from Chris." After some help from the Digital Photography School I was able to use the Cold Steel Preset to achieve the effect I wanted.

I would love to know what you think. Thank you for stopping by!

SOOC (with RAW to JPG conversion)

Settings: ISO 200, 29mm, ss5.0sec, f/10

EDIT

Edited with Adobe Lightroom and Cold Steel Preset

"I could never resist the call of the trail." - Buffalo Bill


Linking up with SOOC Saturday. Check out the other photos!

Flashback: Nehalem Bay State Park 08.05.11

I was tempted to skip posting today as I was not feeling well after a difficult dentist appointment, but I saw this picture in my files and felt compelled to put it up. This photo was taken at Nehalem Bay State Park in Oregon. My mom and I spent the day exploring this beach we had not been to before and discovered an Oregon beach rarity...no one on the beach. The walk from the parking lot to the beach is a bit of a trek over the dunes, but beyond worth it for the solitude and the beauty. On this day the sky was a mixture of storm clouds and sun, which made for some beautiful lighting. What I love about this photo is that it captures what the beach is about for me - the expansiveness and sheer space that always makes me feel connected to the world. The leading lines have a lot to do with this as I think they draw your eye to a distant point far off on the horizon. The waves leaving their imprint on the shore and the various hues of the sand also stand out to me in this shot. I think this picture conveys all that I love about the beach!

Flashback #5

Location: Nehalem Bay State Park

Date: August 5th, 2011

Settings: Shot in Auto on Landscape Mode - 1/160, f/13

Post Processing: Color levels, contrast, brightness and sharpening

What I Like: The leading lines, the waves and the cloud patterns

What I Think Needs Work: The hills on the left side

"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." - George Byron

Fort Stevens at Dusk 08.07.11

A few posts ago I mentioned that I love to find new places to take pictures. At the same time, I love to go back to my favorite places and find something I have never seen before or see something in a new light. Whenever I go visit my dad in Astoria, Oregon I usually make at least one stop at Fort Stevens State Park near Warrenton and Hammond. This park is a favorite of mine because of the diversity within the park. There are ocean beaches, both populated and secluded, jettys, the Columbia River and wildlife viewing areas. The ocean beaches are where I am most drawn to because my favorite place on earth is on the beach. Tonight, however, I decided to go to the wildlife viewing area that is situated off of the Columbia River. I had hoped to capture the rays of light that were coming through the clouds on the drive to the park, but the light had changed when we arrived. 

I have to note here that I have the most wonderful family for so many reasons, but in particular when it comes to my photography. They are beyond patient as I find my shots and take a large amount of pictures in hopes of capturing what it is I want to capture. On this adventure my brother went with me and he let me do my thing and listened to me as I bounced ideas off of him. He has a great eye and I was grateful to have him along.

Now, the picture below has an insanely long exposure time and high aperture, which has been my theme lately. I was also playing around with leading lines after reading a post on Click it Up a Notch. My goal was to showcase the expansiveness of the space and to express the peacefulness of the water lapping against the shore. I manipulated the color levels a bit in post processing to add more detail to the shore line while maintaining the sky.

Settings: ISO 100, 2"5, f/18

"Some photographers take reality... and impose the domination of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an instrument of love and revelation." - Ansel Adams